1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a button key assembly of an operator panel incorporated in a variety of electronic equipment including copying machines, facsimile machines, personal computers, telephones, and gaming machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional electronic apparatuses include an operator panel that employs a variety of operational keys that allow a user to operate the electronic apparatus. Such apparatuses include copying machines, facsimile machines, personal computers, telephones, and gaming machines. An operator panel includes a variety of operational keys such as selection keys for selecting a variety of functions such as “ENTER” and “RETURN” for confirming the selection, and “BACK KEY” for returning to the immediately previous state. These keys are commonly arranged closely for the purposes of functionality and design.
If a plurality of operational keys is to be closely located, the keys should be, for example, molded from a resin material in one-piece construction for minimum manufacturing cost. The mold should be designed such that adjacent keys are spaced apart by a predetermined distance or a gap. This gap may cause the keys to rattle after they have been assembled as a key board, impairing the operability of the keyboard.